Mackey – Encyclopedia Of Freemasonry Vol. 1

3 14 SECRET SOCIETIESWhen the candidate has undergone all the degrees of probation,be is permitted to be initiated, an oath being previouslyexacted from him that he will keep all the secrets,and execute without demur all the decrees of the Purrahof his tribe, or of the Grand and Sovereign Purrah . ,Any member turning traitor or rebel is devoted to death,and sometimes assassinated in the midst of his family . Ata moment when a guilty person least expects it, a warriorappears before him, masked and armed, who says : "TheSovereign Pnrrah decrees thy death ." On these wordsevery person present shrinks back, no one makes the leastresistance, and the victim is killed . The common Purrahof a tribe takes cognisance of the crimes committed withinits jurisdiction, tries the criminals, and executes their sentences; and also appeases the quarrels that arise amongpowerful families .It is only on extraordinary occasions that the GrandPurrah assembles for the trial of those who betray themysteries and secrets of the Order, or rebel against itsdictates ; and it is this assembly which generally puts anend to the wars that sometimes break out between two ormore tribes . From the moment when the Grand Purrahhas assembled for the purpose of terminating a war, till ithas decided on the subject, every warrior of the belligerentparties is forbidden to shed a drop of blood under pain ofdeath . The deliberations of the Purrah generally last amonth, after which the guilty tribe is condemned to bepillaged during four days . The warriors who execute thesentence are taken from the neutral cantons ; and theydisguise themselves with frightful masks, are armed withponiards, and carry lighted torches . They arrive at thedoomed villages before break of day, kill all the inhabitantsthat cannot make their escape, and carry off whatever propertyof value they can find . The plunder is divided intotwo parts ; one part being allotted to the tribe against whichthe aggression has been committed, whilst the other partgoes to the Grand Purrah, which distributes it among thewarriors who executed the sentence .When the family of the tribes under the command of thePurrah becomes too powerful and excites alarm, the GrandPurrah assembles to deliberate on the subject, and almostalways condemns it to sudden and unexpected pillage ; whichis executed by night, and always by warriors masked and.disguised.The terror and alarm which this confederation excites